This blog is my attempt at documenting one year of my life. It officially began on the 4th of July when my son and I boarded a plane to Lima, Peru and met my husband at the airport. Heifer International has relocated me to pilot a development program for one year in the Peru office in Lima.
The name of the game?
Change.
Lots of it:
New job, new marriage, new family, new home, new language, new life, new beginnings.

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Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Slipping Away, What Can I Say?

Won't you stay
inside me month of May? And hold on to me golden days....slippin'
away....

JT has been my
solid go-to man this whole year. At the end of this post I'll link to the song
that inspired today’s post and that I've listened to in every corner of this
country when I needed a pick-me-up. There were many developments in May
and I've got some photos and thoughts that have been building that I want to
share. And today, something happened that made me just take a picture and
write a blog post.

We'll start with
the most important part: Hair. Last year I told you that we three
were committing to leaving our hairs uncut for the entire year. Well, we
did, mostly. BC couldn't see through his camera lens half the time for
photo jobs and needed an occasional trim up front, which required an occasional
trim in the back to ensure we didn't have a mullet.

Remember
his "before" photo and then what I expected him to look like
in one year?

Remember me? This was me on July 4, 2012 the day I left the USA for Peru:

Shoulder length, no bangs, full of hope.....

Well here is me now! And with my dear friend Carmen. Still got some hope...

We
were visiting a project in the community of Chilcapata near Lake
Titicaca. They welcomed us with the flowers and confetti. Re Hair -
I got some bangs, and a keratin treatment to combat the Lima humidity. But
it still grew....quite a bit. I'm digging it.

And
last but not least, the D-Train. See his before picture above. Something
kind of funny happened with Davis' hair journey: The school prohibited
it. We got multiple notes and formal notices that "Davis must cut
his hair." So much for that! So he had to get regular
cuts. But we pushed the limit every time as much as we could and made
them make us. So there. Here is a real 'before and after' of one of
his required school cuts.

How cute is this guy?

That is our hair
journey, consider yourself up to date.

Anyway, May was
busy and lots of changes happened. First, Bryan's grandfather passed away
which was very sad for him and his family. Aaaaand, our renters in our
home in Little Rock just UP and decided that they didn't want to pay rent
anymore and wanted to leave. There were and are lots of technical
components to this, but it turned out, the best thing for Bryan to do to manage
it all was to head back to the USA. So he did. BC left the second
week in May for Little Rock to be with his family and close down all the
legalities of our rental situation. He also headed back to finally see
the cutest dog in the world.

Blurry, but happy.

You may be
wondering "But Jessica, how are you doing it all now?
Alone?" (You may not be wondering, but whatever.) And the
short answer is, I'm doing it just fine. I hired a maid which is very
common in Peru. She picks D up from school and is at our house with him
until I get home from work. Four hours a day. Long story
short: When I come home from work every day, my son is safe and sound,
his homework is done and his chores are done. When I come home from work
every day, my house smells like freshly cooked Peruvian food and dinner is laid
out on the table. When I come home from work every day, my entire house
is spotless and all my laundry is clean and put away.

Need I say
more?

Yep, lots of
changes. But these changes have forced me to make adjustments that have
paid off. I have a renewed sense of independence and a totally different
feeling now with him gone. Eleven months ago if I didn't have Bryan's
hand to hold, I probably would've collapsed at every turn. But now, I
know the language better, have connections and friends to help me, am traveling
less with work.... it is just easier. I'm much more comfortable
with life in this giant city. Life has taken on a groove and I am thriving.

It has given me
a renewed sense of ability. I am doing this. I am living in a
different country, speaking a different language and living a completely
different life than I ever thought I was capable of. And it ain't so
bad.

Still, we miss
Bryan. And the days are quickly winding down towards our return. D
flies back to the USA the first week in July. I head back the second week
in July. Re-entry will have its own set of challenges....but I'm looking
forward to tackling them too. Just like I did the ones here. In the
meantime, here is the last family shot of us. Taken along the Malecon at
sunset on the Costa Verde in Lima.

So now to why I was inspired to write today. Well, my necklace broke. And so did my heart just a little. About two years ago I purchased one of those "mom" necklaces for myself for Mother's Day that has your child's birthday, name and birthstone and I wore it all the time. Then I lost it. Then BRYAN found it for me and I covered him in kisses. It has special meaning to me.

The night before I left for Peru (July 3 to be exact) my sister gave me a silver ring for my year here. It was something she'd worn every day for years and even had a tan line without it. She told me I could wear it or tuck it away or do whatever, and I opted to put it on my necklace. Then while traveling in Cusco this year, I found a "Spiral of Life" charm that represents the never ending cycle of life and the path to our creator - the spiral is found all over Peru in nature, Nazca, Aztec drawings, art, tapestries... I loved the mother-of-pearl design and felt like it belonged on my neck alongside my son and sister's love. I have worn this every day in Peru. It has been my security blanket. In meetings, while waiting in lines, in taxis, in bed, all the time, I play with it. I reach for it constantly and mindlessly toy with each little piece. I know exactly how it feels, and how it makes me feel. It has been a constant reminder of my priorities and all of the love and goodness that surrounds me on this planet and from above.

It broke
today. Just the chain, and I don't have another one here to replace
it. Thank God the pieces didn't get lost because I might've just melted
down like the green witch.

The last month
of my journey will be without my last remaining security blanket. First
Bryan is gone, then my necklace. Weird what we hold onto, no? For
some reason, it seems appropriate. That the smallest, last piece of home
that I've been holding onto for security and comfort won't be accessible
anymore. It means that I only have myself. And my strength and
comfort must come from within. And that, my friends is what this year in
Peru has all been about.